Quarterfinals: Dustin Biggers vs. Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones has marched through the swiss with his Deathblade deck, but he was in for a grind against Dustin Biggers and his UW Miracles.

GAME 1

Dustin sets up the hard lock.

Dustin kept his seven, but Kevin took two mulligans to start things off.

Both players spent the early turns jockeying over mana. Dustin led with Tundra, Kevin Wastelanded it, and Dustin played a Scalding+Tarn and fetched Island. Dustin used a Brainstorm at Kevin’s end step to ensure he hit his land drop, played a Plains, and Kevin attempted the same. He didn’t find one on the first try, but on his main phase he went for Brainstorm number two, and this one located an Underground+Sea, which allowed him to cast Deathrite+Shaman. It didn’t last long, though, as Dustin killed it off at Kevin’s end step with Swords+to+Plowshares.

Dustin found his third land and, content that his manabase was sufficiently developed, attempted a Counterbalance. Kevin responded with a Snapcaster+Mage, but had no more mana to flash anything back, and Counterbalance resolved. He then untapped and cast Umezawa’s Jitte, which resolved through the Counterbalance. Dustin passed without a play, but showed Swords+to+Plowshares when Kevin attempted to equip.

Kevin found his third land and attempted a True-Name+Nemesis, but Dustin revealed that the card he had left on top was Entreat+the+Angels. On his own turn, he developed his mana, activated Jace, The Mind Sculptor’s Brainstorm effect, and played his Sensei’s Divining Top. Kevin cast his other True-Name+Nemesis, and Counterbalance revealed the same Entreat+the+Angels. Dustin simply drew a card, Brainstormed with Jace, and passed, and Kevin attempted a Liliana+of+the+Veil. Dustin decided he didn’t care about that one, allowing it to resolve through his Counterbalance, but activated the Sensei’s Divining Top at Kevin’s end step to reveal Entreat+the+Angels, making a pile of 4/4s. That was enough for Kevin, who conceded the first game.

Dustin Biggers 1, Kevin Jones 0

GAME 2

Kevin is all business.

Kevin led off with a Tundra, and Dustin matched him, casting a turn 1 Sensei’s Divining Top. Kevin had Island and Stoneforge+Mystic on his second turn. It resolved, and he retrieved a Batterskull. Dustin used the Top on his upkeep to set up his draw, but missed his third land drop. He passed the turn, and Kevin thought for a moment before casting Brainstorm at the end step. It resolved, and he activated Stoneforge+Mystic, putting his Batterskull into play.

The Germ came swinging, and Dustin fell to 16. Kevin considered casting a True-Name+Nemesis, but decided instead to hold it, as it was his only blue card to go with Force+of+Will. Dustin found his third land, cast another Sensei’s Divining Top, and passed it back. The Germ attacked again, knocking Dustin to 12, and Kevin cast a Thoughtseize after combat, and Dustin responded by activating his top to reveal a Terminus sitting on top of his deck. It resolved, clearing away Kevin’s threats, and then the Thoughtseize resolved.

Kevin’s next attempt to advance his board was a Liliana+of+the+Veil. It resolved and ticked up, and Dustin binning Terminus and Kevin tossing a Polluted+Delta. Dustin drew and passed, and Kevin plused his Liliana again, getting rid of Dustin’s Counterspell and his own Flooded+Strand. He passed it to Dustin, who simply spun the top and passed it back again, a waiting game that appeared to favor the player with the Planeswalker.

Both players were nearly out of gas, as the two opposing planeswalkers kept each other in check. Kevin Brainstormed, cast Stoneforge+Mystic simply to shuffle his deck, and ticked Liliana up again. Dustin found Counterbalance on top of his deck and cast it, then Brainstormed with Jace.

Neither player had a play for the next few turns. Dustin broke the silence with a Snapcaster+Mage at Kevin’s end step, flashing back Brainstorm with two fetchlands untapped. Kevin Wastelanded a Flooded+Strand, Dustin cracked it in response, and Kevin used Spell+Pierce to counter the Brainstorm with the fetch activation still on the stack. The Snapcaster+Mage stuck, though, and started beating down Kevin two points at a time.